Monthly Archives: December 2024

Happy Publication Day – 12 December 2024

Sisters And Husbands By Amanda Brookfield

Ever since the death of their father twenty years before, beautiful thirty-two-year-old Anna has acted as her younger sister Becky’s support, playing the peace-maker in her stormy relationship with their mother, and counselling her through the traumas of a life that has always appeared charmless and problematic in comparison to her own.

Now married to wealthy, handsome David Lawrence, with a luxurious country home and a successful career in broadcasting, Anna’s good fortune looks set to continue. But when she unexpectedly falls pregnant and Becky’s marriage runs into trouble, the door to the sisters past suddenly swings open, exploding all their long-held perceptions both of each other and themselves.

Review Card & Book Review – Bring Me Sunshine By Alex Brown

Gina Bennett has had enough after her husband of twenty-seven years lets her down one time too many. Deciding to choose herself, she embarks on a transformative solo journey to break free from the monotony of her life.

She escapes to the gorgeous Greek island of Kalosiros, where she holidayed in her youth, and where she had her first romance with the handsome Nico. Encountering two kindred spirits in Rosie and Deedee, the women bond over art classes and cocktails, renewing their lust for life and a shared quest to find Gina’s lost love.

Together, they navigate the challenges of middle-age, self-discovery, and the liberating power of skinny-dipping. Will Gina find love again with her teenage sweetheart Nico, her husband, or with someone new?

About The Author

My Review

The novel follows 49-year-old Gina as she revisits the Greek island of Kalosiros, where she once enjoyed summers with her mother and a teenage romance. After her mother’s death, Gina led a practical life with her husband. When she finally saves for a return trip, her husband can’t join, so she travels alone, encouraged by her employer. In Kalosiros, Gina befriends fellow solo travelers Deedee and Rosie, leading to a lively girls’ holiday. The journey helps Gina confront her past, search for her first love, and reconsider her future. Celebrating friendship, self-discovery, and the vibrancy of older women, the novel is heartwarming and uplifting.

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Review Card & Book Review – The Riviera House Swap By Gillian Harvey

Would you swap houses with a stranger?

Nina has always played it safe. But when her divorce papers come through on her fortieth birthday she decides enough is enough.

She’s always chosen the sensible route, staying in her stable job and marrying her rather boring ex. In fact – she realises – she’s chosen security over excitement for years. Ever since she refused to elope with her first love: beautiful, poetic, thoughtful Pierre, the man she met aged 17, on her French exchange. The only man who ever made her heart race.

Maybe it’s time to take a few risks?

Impulsively she goes online and finds another kind of French exchange… a house-swap. She can’t imagine what French businessman Jean-Luc wants with her terraced home in rural England, but she can’t wait to stay in his beautiful, spacious, bougainvillea-strewn villa on the French riviera.

She’s not just there for the house though. She’s decided to find the love she missed all those years ago. But will Pierre still be the man of her dreams after all this time?

About The Author

My Review

The novel is a charming tale of second chances and self-discovery, following Nina, a recently divorced woman in her forties. After years of choosing safety and routine, Nina’s life changes when she participates in a house swap, trading her home in rural England for a villa on the French Riviera. This decision is spurred by her desire to rekindle a romance with Pierre, her teenage love.

In France, Nina befriends the siblings of Jean-Luc, the villa’s owner, whose support helps her overcome initial uncertainties. The novel explores Nina’s emotional journey as she searches for Pierre, blending hope, fear, and nostalgia. The story keeps readers engaged, wondering if Nina’s reunion with Pierre will fulfill her dreams or lead to heartbreak. Ultimately, the novel celebrates taking risks, embracing change, and the enduring power of following one’s dreams.

My Rating

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Happy Publication Day – 10 December 2024

Not In My Book By Katie Holt

Rosie, an idealistic and passionate Peruvian American, leaves her Tennessee hometown to pursue her dream of making it in New York as a writer. But her plan is derailed when she ends up in class with her archnemesis and ex-crush, Aiden Huntington—an obnoxious, surly, and gorgeous literary fiction writer who doesn’t have much patience for the romance genre or for Rosie.

Rosie and Aiden regularly go to verbal battle in workshop until their professor reaches her breaking point. She allows them to stay in her class on one condition: they must cowrite a novel that blends their genres.

The reluctant writing duo can’t help but put pieces of themselves into their accidentally steamy novel, and their manuscript-in-progress provides an outlet for them to confess their feelings—and explore their attraction toward each other.

When Rosie and Aiden find themselves competing against each other for a potentially career-changing opportunity, the flames of old rivalry reignite, and their once-in-a-lifetime love story is once again at risk of being shelved—unless they can find a way to end the book on their own terms.

Review Card & Book Review – One Of A Kind By Jane Lovering

A long-held secret, and a beautiful heart hoping to be understood.

Cressida Tarbet loves her job at an animal rescue centre, even if it means she’s resigned herself to scrimping to make ends meet – a lifestyle far removed from her best friend Ivo’s, in his ancestral gatehouse stuffed with antiques and art.

But although their upbringings were different, Ivo has held Cress’s heart ever since she clapped eyes on him at university. The trouble is – she has never told him. So, when a mystery and a baffling crime throw Cress and Ivo together, she can’t help but wonder if fate is telling her something.

As the puzzle takes them from beautiful Yorkshire, to the stunning Isle of Wight, the pair get closer. Ivo begins to understand the cause of Cress’s risk-aversion and she puts her irritation at his brilliant mind to one side as she starts to appreciate Ivo’s uniqueness. But then the unthinkable happens and their worlds are turned upside down, and Cress has to wonder if fate was calling after all…

About The Author

My Review

Cressida Tarbut, a dedicated wildlife rescue ranger, is called by her friend Ivo to save a red squirrel found in a dead man’s pocket. Realizing the squirrel, Fred, was hand-reared, Cressida joins Ivo in investigating the man’s death, which Ivo believes is more than an accident. Secretly in love with Ivo, Cressida navigates romantic tension, complicated by their different social backgrounds. Ivo’s quirky, non-neurotypical personality adds charm to the story. Their adventure becomes unexpectedly eventful, filled with humor typical of Jane Lovering’s books, providing many laugh-out-loud moments.

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Review Card & Book Review- Escape To The Country Kitchen By Hannah Langdon

Shy, world-weary Juliet Carlisle reluctantly returns to her family’s crumbling English manor house, seeking solace after a painful heartbreak… only to discover that her family has launched a new cookery school, run by the handsome but irritatingly cheerful French chef Léo Brodeur.

Between her manipulative ex, two much-loved sisters who just won’t stay out of her business, and a home falling down around her ears, Juliet has enough on her plate without dealing with an exasperating Frenchman. But as they work together in the kitchen – surrounded by the warm scents of baking croissants, fresh garden thyme, and Léo’s peppery cologne – she begins to see a more serious side to him that she never noticed before.

Just as her heart begins to mend, Juliet discovers the shocking reason Léo suddenly left France, and she doesn’t know what to believe. Should she run away, or fight for the chance of a future at Feywood filled with healing… and maybe even love?

About The Author

My Review

This book follows Juliet, a successful cartoonist grappling with the lingering effects of her late mother’s harsh criticism. This criticism damaged Juliet’s self-esteem and contributed to a toxic relationship with an ex-boyfriend. With the support of her sisters, aunt, and father, Juliet faces new challenges when her father reveals financial troubles caused by her mother’s extravagant spending during her illness. Returning to her family home, Juliet meets Leo, a French chef hired to start a cooking school. Initially wary of Leo due to her past relationship traumas, Juliet gradually comes to appreciate his kindness. The family’s collective care for an orphaned puppy adds warmth to the story. The novel delves into psychological trauma, relationship issues, and self-esteem, highlighting Juliet’s journey from alcohol dependence to finding true love. The presence of her father’s new girlfriend hints at potential future conflicts. Overall,it is a heartwarming story about healing, new beginnings, and the power of supportive relationships.

My Rating

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Review Card & Book Review – The Summer Of Keeping Secrets By Jill Lynn

Recently widowed Marin Henderson considers time with her two adult children a gift. And she’s intent on not prying into their lives while they’re all together, cleaning out her late parents’ Colorado home. But from the start, nothing goes as planned. Her free-spirited daughter, Slade, and her strait-laced son, Reed, both arrive ahead of schedule, and no one is explaining why. Marin knows they’re hiding issues in their personal lives. But she can only push so far because she, too, is keeping secrets.

Setting aside family tensions, the three of them get to work purging the house. But when Slade discovers a decades-old newspaper clipping about a body found on the rocks below the house, questions arise. Marin insists the death was ruled an accident, but Slade’s curiosity is piqued. And when a roof leak compels Marin to call on an old friend and flame for help, it’s the catalyst for a wave of revelations.

Between a daughter bent on distracting herself from her own career turmoil, a son desperate to hold on to his marriage and a mother forced to confront her choices from that long-ago summer, pieces of the past and present begin to unravel. And before the summer is over, they each must decide what to hold on to and what to let go…

About The Author

My Review

This is a women’s contemporary fiction story with elements of family reconciliation, grief, healing, and a touch of romance. Recently widowed Marin Henderson returns to her late parents’ home in Colorado with her children, Slade and Reed, to clean it out. Each family member harbors secrets: Marin about her own past, Slade about a recent job-related sexual harassment case, and Reed about marital troubles. As they sort through the house, Slade discovers a 1990 newspaper article about a death on the property, prompting questions and uncovering more secrets. The story evolves from one of hidden truths to open sharing, culminating in the family coming together to address their issues. Marin reconnects with Garrett, an old high-school flame, adding a romantic subplot. The mystery of the 1990 death ties into their family history, enhancing the narrative’s depth and resolution.

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Happy Publication Day – 7 December 2024

Stuck In Second Gear By Carmen Reid

Divorced, Re-wedded. Survived….

Lucie Marshal is absolutely furious! How did she go from being a successful wife and mother to divorced, teetering on bankruptcy, and barely speaking to her grown-up daughter? Even worse, she’s just heard that her moronic ex-husband Miles is marrying a much younger woman in an influencer-style wedding in France #blessed #theone

Lucie will absolutely NOT be going. To hell with Miles, his new teeth, new hair and new wife! She’s perfectly fine…In fact, Lucie feels lost and angry almost all of the time. Just what happened to her younger, freer wild child self, who used to live life to the full?

But then pregnant daughter Zoe needs a lift… and eccentric nephew Deva needs a lift too and now Lucie has somehow agreed to drive her Dad’s beloved old Jag all the way across France to take them to her ex-husband’s wedding.

With a pitstop in Paris, a breakdown, unexpected passengers, and miles of open road, all set to Deva’s showtunes soundtrack – could this be the journey Lucie needs to find a way back to herself?

Review Card & Book Review – The Island Love Song By Emma Cowell

Hydra, the picturesque Greek island, is a paradise for most, yet for sisters Ella and Georgia, it is a place where their darkest secrets dwell. And now the time has come for them to confront their past as they return to Greece to scatter their mother’s ashes.

Ella is haunted by a love song that was written for her by the man who broke her heart years earlier and she longs to find peace so she can move on with her life.

Georgia pretends everything in her life is perfect, but she is plagued with guilt. If what she’s kept hidden for decades was revealed, their family would never be the same again.

About The Author

My Review

Sisters Ella and Georgia are opposites in looks and temperament: Ella is an olive-skinned, free-spirited photographer, while Georgia is a fair-skinned, conventional stay-at-home mother. Despite their differences and friction, they are bound by their love for their mother and Georgia’s daughter, Phoenix. After their mother’s death, they embark on a journey to scatter her ashes on Hydra, a Greek island laden with painful memories—Ella’s heartbreak over a lost lover and Georgia’s guilty past. On Hydra, they confront their secrets and strained relationship, with the narrative exploring themes of family, loss, love, and fate. This is a beautifully woven tale of reconciliation and emotional depth, enriched by the island’s mythical ambiance and poignant use of music.

My Rating

Link To Purchase